This song hurts to listen to. It talks about someone needing love in the worst way. They don’t care how they’re treated or used, as long as their lover stays with them. They’re desperate for love. Their lover doesn’t feel the same anymore, but they still want them to stay. They’ve had it happen to them over and over and they want a love that stays. They also seem to have seen this happen before, maybe to their parents. The reference to the kitchen and always being alone could be a nod to this. This song is beautifully tragic.

I encourage you to listen to this song and dissect it for yourself. What did you come up with?

As my mom likes to say, “Songs without music, are poems.” And as we can study poems, we can likewise study songs. I wanted to do this with a song I discovered yesterday that resonated with me. This song is by an artist I recently discovered that goes by the name of Jaymes Young. The song is titled “I’ll be good.”

I thought I saw the devil, this morning
Looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue
With the warning to help me see myself clearer
I never meant to start a fire,
I never meant to make you bleed,
I’ll be a better man today

I’ll be good, I’ll be good
And I’ll love the world, like I should
Yeah, I’ll be good, I’ll be good
For all of the times that I never could.

My past has tasted bitter for years now,
So I wield an iron fist
Grace is just weakness
Or so I’ve been told.
I’ve been cold, I’ve been merciless
But the blood on my hands scares me to death
Maybe I’m waking up today

I’ll be good, I’ll be good
And I’ll love the world, like I should
I’ll be good, I’ll be good
I’ll be good, I’ll be good
For all of the light that I shut out
For all of the innocent things that I’ve doubt
For all of the bruises that I’ve caused and the tears
For all of the things that I’ve done all these years
Yeah, for all of the sparks that I’ve stomped out
For all of the perfect things that I doubt

I’ll be good, I’ll be good
And I’ll love the world, like I should
Yeah, I’ll be good, I’ll be good
For all of the times I never could.

Ooh oh oh
Ooh oh oh
For all of the times I never could.

Read over these lyrics. What are they saying to you? Here is what I got from them: He has messed up and turned to drinking to numb himself, but one day he realizes what he has become and what he has caused. He wants to change. He realizes all the mistakes he has made and decides he needs to start over. He holds a lot of regret over his past.

I’ve attached the video below so you can listen to it with the music. The music itself intensifies the emotion in his words, and the song in its entirety is extremely moving. If you have time, comment below what you found in this song.